Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh announced that the controversial surgical intervention would be outlawed. He said the ban would come into effect immediately. Female genital mutilation involves cutting female genitalia – often when girls are young – to remove their labia and clitoris, which often leads to lifelong health complications, including bleeding, infections, vaginal pain and infertility. More than 130 million women worldwide are subjected to the procedure. The practice is widespread in many African countries, including the Gambia, where more than 76% femals have been subjected to it.

Representational image via stokokkino.gr

Senior Muslim clerics in the Gambia have previously denied the existence of FGM in the Gambia saying instead that what is practiced is ‘female circumcision’.